Scotland

£20 million manufacturing flagship rises for world-leading company

A £20 million flagship international manufacturing facility for world-leading temporary power and temperature control provider Aggreko, is under construction on the Lomondgate development at Dunbartonshire.

Main Contractors for the scheme are Morgan Sindall; Architects are Bradford Robertson.

The 170,000sq ft new plant will be used to design, develop and manufacture power generators and temperature control equipment which will be deployed by Aggreko around the world. The development will incorporate a 160,000 sq ft plant facility and 25,000 sq ft of office space on a 16 acre site just off the A82.

The new building is structured around a steel frame with external elevations in profiled cladding, incorporating structural glazing and roller shutter doors and a pitched profiled sheeting roof incorporating rooflights. External works include the formation of new access to the building as well as hard and soft landscaping.

Aggreko is currently based on the Broadmeadow Industrial Estate, Dumbarton, where most of its fleet of rental generators and temperature control equipment are designed and assembled. However the rapid growth of Aggreko’s worldwide business over the last five years now means this facility is too small and production has been spread around a number of other sites in the West of Scotland.

“The manufacturing sector is showing encouraging signs of growth in Scotland with a significant rise in new orders,” said Harry Thorburn, Morgan Sindall managing director in Scotland.  “We are experts in creating these specialist facilities, constructing better and more cost effective solutions for our customers.  On this scheme we are using modular construction techniques involving parts of the facility being created off-site to fast-track the construction process.”

The facility, due for completion in 2012, is expected to create 110 new jobs and safeguard a further 120 in the Dumbarton area.

The site forms part of the 120-acre former J & B whisky plant which is being redeveloped as Lomondgate by Walker Group in partnership with Strathleven Regeneration Company (SRC). Lomondgate is a mixed-use project which will also deliver 300 new homes, a new business park, hotel and visitor facilities. BBC Scotland’s River City studios already occupy what remains of the J&B whisky bottling plant which once stood on the site.

Speaking at the start of construction of the new Aggreko plant, Aggreko CEO Rupert Soames said: “This new facility is a vital project for Aggreko, enabling us to meet our future manufacturing expansion needs over the next 20 years.

Our roots are in Dumbarton and it means a great deal to us to be able to remain where we have built up a world-leading design, engineering and manufacturing skill base.”

Bruce Walker, Managing Director of Walker Group said: “This is a major step forward for the development and it is tremendous news that a world class company like Aggreko is pushing ahead with developing its Scottish manufacturing base at a time when there is so much doom and gloom surrounding the UK economy. Lomondgate is now becoming a hive of activity with the main contract about to start on the Aggreko facility and the Premier Inn and family pub/restaurant now within two to three months of completion.

Overall the development has already generated over £90 million of value to the region’s economy according to an independent economic impact assessment thanks in part to our other anchor tenant BBC Scotland which is producing world class drama from the site.”

SRC Chairman and former West Dunbartonshire MP John McFall, who was recently elevated to the House of Lords, said:  “It is great news for the local area and its economy that a global business such as Aggreko has chosen to expand its manufacturing operation at Dumbarton. Strathleven Regeneration Company is delighted to have played a part in securing this investment at Lomondgate – a result which was made possible through partnerships with, and the support of, West Dunbartonshire Council, Diageo, Scottish Enterprise and the Walker Group.”

About the author

Roma Publications